Several devices have been contemplated for signaling that a mail delivery has occurred responsive to the postman's act of opening the mailbox, as for example, the disclosures of U.S. Letters Pat. Nos. 2,853,230 and 3,675,845. In the disclosure of the former there are no spring biasing means which permit positive operation as contemplated by the invention hereof and there are no selectable positioning means. The flag of the former device is carried for maximum exposure from one direction only, whereas it is an object of the present invention to selectably position the flag for maximum exposure from any of a number of directions. The disclosure of the last mentioned patent requires installation of a relatively complex device interiorly of the mailbox, limiting the usefulness thereof and providing maximum signaling from a single direction.
Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to provide a positively positionable flag device which is of simple construction, capable of signaling that a mail delivery has occurred responsive to the act of the postman in opening the mailbox.
Another important object of the invention is the provision of multiple positioning means so that the flag may be more effective in signaling from any of a number of directions.
Still another object of the invention is the provision of catch retaining means for normally maintaining the flag in restricted position facilitated by a camming surface for receiving the flag into the retracted position.